Verizon to Apple: We Want the iPhone

After airing numerous ads bashing the iPhone for its shortcomings, Verizon has made clear its desire for the iPhone.

Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg on Tuesday said the telecom company has told Apple that it wants to carry the iPhone, in remarks made before the Council on Foreign Affairs, according to the Associated Press.

However, the CEO did not say when or if a Verizon iPhone would become a reality.

Seidenberg’s statement follows recent rumors that Apple is preparing a CDMA-compatible iPhone to go into production September. Verizon’s phones adhere to the CDMA standard, so many have drawn the conclusion that a Verizon iPhone will be launched in the fall.

AT&T has been the sole U.S. carrier for the iPhone since the handset debuted in 2007. Numerous reports have said the exclusivity contract expires in 2010, but the details of the confidential agreement between Apple and AT&T have not been confirmed.

Verizon has given the iPhone mixed signals in the past few years. Seidenberg in October 2009 said Verizon would serve the iPhone if Apple were interested in bringing Verizon on board. That same month, Verizon aired commercials advertising the Droid, which dissed the iPhone for features it doesn’t have.